Combustors are commonly used in industrial and power generation operations to ignite fuel to produce combustion gases having a high temperature and pressure. A typical gas turbine may include an axial compressor at the front, one or more combustors around the middle, and a turbine at the rear. A working fluid such as ambient air may be supplied to the compressor to produce a compressed working fluid at a highly energized state. The compressed working fluid exits the compressor and flows into a combustion chamber defined within the combustor where the compressed working fluid mixes with fuel and ignites to generate combustion gases having a high temperature and pressure. The combustion gases flow from the combustor into the turbine to produce work. For example, expansion of the combustion gases in the turbine may rotate a shaft connected to a generator to produce electricity.
In a particular combustor design, a plurality of tubes may be radially arranged within one or more tube bundles to provide fluid communication for the compressed working fluid and/or fuel to flow through the one or more tube bundles and into the combustion chamber. At least some of the plurality of tubes may extend through one or more plates that extend generally radially and circumferentially within each of the one or more tube bundles. In typical configurations, the tubes may be brazed and/or welded to the one or more plates so as to provide a seal between the tubes and the one or more plates. However, as the combustor cycles through various operating conditions, the joint between the tubes and the one or more plates may be compromised due to axial and radial thermal expansion and contraction of both the tubes and the plate. As a result, fuel and/or air may leak through the compromised joint. In addition or in the alternative, the compromised joint may significantly limit the mechanical life of the tubes and/or the plates due to combustor dynamics. Therefore, an improved combustor and method for assembling the combustor that compensates for the axial and/or the radial thermal expansion of the tubes and/or the plates while maintaining the seal between the tubes and the plates would be useful.